


The History and Loss of the Dream Team

by Lilypony23



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Anxiety, Best Friends, Brotherhood, Emotions, Fire, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Multichapter, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Trauma, dream team
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:22:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28835541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilypony23/pseuds/Lilypony23
Summary: Dream and Sapnap were friends and then brothers. Their bond was close and they went through thick and thin together. They meet George and are then known as the "Dream Team". The trio live together and help when the times get rough, but when something goes wrong on the Dream SMP who will be left standing?
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Toby Smith | Tubbo, TommyInnit & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Kudos: 21





	1. An Ending and a Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This is like an au. It was written before some major plot developments so don't mind if somethings are not the same as actual lore. I don't know how many chapters there will be so that's fun. There will be NO shipping at ALL.  
> I would love some feed back, and the next chapter might come out in a week or two I think.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream is a homeless young boy stealing food and other things to get by until he meets Sapnap. The two become Friends and even brothers.

“George, I’m trying to protect you” he pleads, doing his best to convince him, because it was true.

“Lies! That is all you’ve been telling us this whole time!” Sapnap shoots back. “Have you ever CARED about us? Have we just been your puppets this whole time. Have you just been using me? Do you even care about ME?” he continues with baited breath, running out of air.

“Just tell us that you hate us Dream. Just tell ME, that you hate me” George finally says. George and Sapnap look at each other, Dream was never on their side, was he? With tears starting to well up in their eyes they did the one thing that they promised not to do, so long ago.

George in his blue shirt with the red and white square in the middle, his jeans and sneakers, took off his white rimmed glasses that were sitting upon his head. And Sapnap in his white shirt and black undershirt, with his joggers and checkered shoes, took off his white bandana that was tied around his head. 

The two men looked at each other and then right into the white unforgiving smiley mask of Dream, and they tossed the items at his feet. Without another word they turned around and started walking away. As they walk Dream can just barely hear Sapnap say “I guess we aren’t on your side anymore either.”

* * *

His legs pounded along with the beat of the rain, each step coincided with the heavy drops that came from the sky. Running that's all he could remember, the pain in his legs was unbearable, but his brain told him to keep going, it doesn’t matter just don’t get caught. A kid on the streets that was all he was. A “vermin” was what he heard the shopkeepers call him. He stole to get by and traveled from village to village when he got too well known. Having no place to call home he ran around corners looking for a quick hiding place, or to at least make it into the forest behind the village. No family, no friends, no one looking out for him. He was alone, he kinda liked it, it was all he ever knew.

The grey sky opened up more and the rain fell in sheets. The shopkeeper chasing him gave up as soon as Dream reached the end of town, electing to find shelter from the rain rather than bother with some kid who stole from him.

Dream looked back quickly and saw that the man was gone. He took a quick second to catch his breath and then took off again, just in case the man had hidden somewhere and was going to sneak up and apprehend him. Despite only being in the area for a few days, Dream had memorized the layout of the village and most of the surrounding forest. He followed the route he planned earlier and made it to a cave. It wasn’t very big, but it was enough to take shelter in while he rested. Grabbing his stuff, he laid out the food he managed to steal, and made a small fire for some warmth. He wrapped his raggedy old blanket around his shoulders and consumed half of the loaf of bread he had. Then he sat against the wall and felt his eyelids get heavier, surely a quick nap wouldn’t hurt, right?

When he awoke it was still raining, the sky was still a dark grey, and he was unable to tell the time. Assuming it was the morning he packed up what little he had, and set out to find the next village. Being able to sneak around was very useful to gather information.

The rain slowed to a small drizzle as Dream walked. The path was well used and covered by trees that were helpful in keeping him mostly dry. Relaxing a little more he let his mind wander, thinking about the day’s events, as well as going over his routine for when he reaches the village. He was startled out of his thoughts by the voices of people.

The young boy was about 100 ft away from the voices as well as the village that was behind them. Sticking toward the trees Dream surveyed the surrounding area, making note of useful items like rocks and trees. When he was done, he entered the village around the back through a side alley. He kept his head down and walked about looking for things to take.

He noticed that this village was set up for a party of some sort. There were banners and stands as well as colorful flowers strewn about the area. Despite everything being wet and soaked through, people were still hanging around, buying, selling and just chatting away. The rain was light for now, but it would undoubtedly get heavier as the day went on. Making his way through the stands he surveyed what each one held and which ones were worth his time. The village was rather large, and he was still in the center, so he quickly started to make his way back to the outskirts of town. He walked past quite a few people, dodging and weaving through them, when he walked right into another kid.

Their faces smacked together, and Dream stumbled and fell down on his butt. The other kid stumbled backward but managed to stay on his feet. Dream touched his forehead tenderly, _‘that's gonna hurt for a while.’_ Dream looks up to see the other kid standing over him. He was wearing a yellow rain jacket with the hood pulled up and matching boots; his black bangs were sticking out and he had a big smile on his face, though he was missing a front tooth.

"Hello! Do you need some help?" He stuck his hand out.

"Um, thank you?" Dream took it and stood up, he wasn't used to people being nice to him.

"Sorry about running into you, my mom's always telling me to watch where I'm going; I'm Sapnap! What's your name?" He spoke rather quickly, but Dream was able to catch every word.

"I'm Dream", he says rather softly. Sapnap's smile gets even bigger "I like your name Dream! Do you wanna come with me to the field? I wanna jump in some puddles and play with the worms!"

Dream took a moment to consider, he never had a friend before, and even if he was going to leave in a few days it would be nice to talk to someone. “Okay,” Dream accepts.

Sapnap’s eyes light up, and he bounces up and down slightly, then he grabs Dream’s hand and takes off down the street. Dream is able to keep pace with Sapnap easily and is glad to have some company.

Sapnap stops and Dream almost walks into him again, but is able to stop short.

“Are you ready?”

“Ready for?.....”

“For the big puddle of course!” Sapnap states matter of factly.

“What are we going to do with the puddle?” Dream questions, unsure of what the outcome could possibly be.

“We are going to…” He pauses for dramatic effect “Jump in it!”

“We are going to jump in a puddle?” Dream thought the idea to be ridiculous, why would they jump in a puddle?

“Yes! You and me are going to jump right in the middle and then it will make a big SPLASH” he moves his hands up and out to imitate what the splash could look like.

“Um, are you sure about this? Won’t we get all wet?”

“That's what my rain boots and jacket are for! But I guess you don’t have any do you?...” Sapnap drifts off into silence and his smile falters. “So you can’t jump in with me? Are your parents going to be mad?” he starts to whimper slightly, he was looking forward to jumping in with his new friend.

Dream’s face fell, he just met the kid and he already made him cry. “No, no, no I can still jump in!” Dream tries to cheer him up but Sapnap isn’t quite convinced.

“Hmm, maybe……… OH!” Sapnap’s face lights up again at his idea. “I will give you my Rain Jacket! So then you are protected mostly from the rain and we can still have fun!” he starts to take the jacket off as he speaks. He is wearing a simple white shirt underneath.

“But won’t your mom get mad at you?” Dream deflects not wanting to take the jacket.

“Nope, she always tells me to help people out, so I am going to help you! Here put on my jacket and then we can Jump.”

Reluctantly Dream does so, and buttons it up. He knows that it might not be too useful, but Sapnap was so excited that he wanted to come; Dream wouldn’t argue any further.

Once Dream was ready, Sapnap took his hand again and counted to 3.

One.

Two.

Three.

The two boys jumped as high as they could right into the middle of the puddle. Sapnap started to giggle afterward when he saw the splash they made together. “Wow! That's the biggest one I’ve made yet!” “Come on! Let’s go to the field.”

Hand in hand the two boys made frequent stops at puddles Sapnap deemed big enough to cause a tsunami.

At each one they giggled at each other and laughed.

_‘So this is what it is like to have a friend’_ Dream thought as they continued on their way.

Eventually the two make it to the field. The sky was still grey and the rain was falling ever so slightly. Sapnap runs a little bit ahead of Dream and starts to look for worms in the muddy grass. When Dream got there Sapnap had already collected about five worms and was holding them in his hand running toward Dream.

“Dream! Dream! Look at all the worms I'm helping!” He trips and stumbles a bit but is able to keep his balance.

“What are you going to do with the worms?”

“Well, when I found them, they were all in big puddles. Not quite as big as the ones we jumped in, but a lot bigger than the worms! So I am taking them to a new spot where the grass is dryer so they can go back home!” He explains excitedly, like he was on an adventure.

“Go back home?”

“Yeah! The rain washes them out so that is why they are here at the surface. So, when we put them in the new spot and they go back underground, they can find their way home again!” Sapnap motions Dream to follow him so they can look for a new, more dry, spot.

_‘Find my way home again? It's gone, I’ve never known a home.’_ Small tears start to well up in Dreams eyes. He was never really good at hiding his emotions.

Sapnap turns to ask him if he thinks that a spot over by the trees is a good area when he notices the tears.

“Dream! Are you okay? Is it the worms? Do you not like them? I mean it's okay if you don't, my mom doesn't really like them either, she always makes me pick them up-” he starts to ramble unsure of what to do or what caused the tears in the first place. “Do you wanna go home? Do you not like the rain? I should have asked you before, bringing you here should’ve I? Com’on Sapnap you know your manners-”

Dream can hear the worry in his voice, as the younger boy starts to then push the blame on to himself.

“I’m okay, Sapnap.” Dream says softly, Sapnap immediately snaps out of his rant and looks at him.

“A-are you sure? We can leave if you want, we don’t have to look for more worms, I mean, just let me put these guys down and we can-”

“No, you don’t have to, it's just something you said reminded me of something. You can keep helping the worms, it doesn’t bother me at all.” Dream was trying to hide his emotions, he didn’t like how easily they showed.

“Really? I-I mean if it does at any point we can stop and do-”

“Yes Sapnap, I’m fine really, we can continue to help the worms, don’t worry about me.”

“But-” Sapnap wanted to make sure that his new friend was completely okay, he wanted to keep pressing the matter and be absolutely positive that Dream was fine, but Dream’s eyes told him to drop the subject. So he did, not wanting to upset his friend anymore. Sapnap continued to look for more worms and asked Dream if he could find another dry spot for the next batch of worms.

Dream wasn’t really paying attention, he was just kind of trailing behind Sapnap, following him, watching him carefully pick up the worms. _‘I can’t believe I almost cried in front of him, I mean we just met! But he cares about me. It’s been so long since I’ve had good company hasn’t it?’_ Dream’s face scrunched up slightly as he thought _‘But I will eventually have to leave, the town might be big, but I can tell that news gets around fast. Once I’ve stolen a few things, the town will have it out for me. I would have to leave and not come back for a while.’_ Lost in his thoughts Sapnap has to call his name a few times to bring him back to reality.

“Dream?” softly as to not startle him too much. “Did you find a good spot?”

“Hmm? Oh, sorry, I wasn’t really looking.” Dream admits, feeling no reason to lie to his companion.

“That’s okay!” Sapnap reassures him, “Let’s look for one together.”

It took them less than five minutes to find another spot, and Sapnap was on the floor making sure the worms were okay, when he broke the silence.

“Hey, Dream? I was thinking, and I know that we just met, but we’ve been hanging out for awhile, and I was wondering if you wanted to be friends?” He was looking at the grass messing with it, picking up the blades and ripping them, anything to avoid eye contact with Dream and the possibility of him rejecting the offer. “I-I don’t know if you’re cool with it. I-its okay if you’re not, I just really like spending time with you today, and I want to do it more.”

“I…….. I-I would love to, I want to be your friend Sapnap.”

Their eyes meet, and Sapnap jumps up off the floor and embraces Dream in a big bear hug. The two boys are smiling and laughing. They spent the rest of the day hanging out until Sapnap had to go home, they say their goodbyes and promise to meet up the next day.

As Dream hung out with Sapnap and the two got to know each other, he accidentally let it slip that he didn’t have a home to go back to. Immediately at the news Sapnap insists that Dream stays with him and the two can be like brothers.

“Are you sure your mom would be okay with it? I mean, am I intruding in your house?” He desperately wants to stay with Sapnap but the thought of ruining their friendship upset him.

“Of course! You can sleep in my room with me, and we could hang out all day, which we already do I guess. My mom will be fine. We can just tell her and she could be like your mom as well!”

“Be my mom too?” The thought sparks hope in Dream’s heart. A place to stay with his best friend, no more stealing, no more running away, no more sleeping in caves, he could be free, he could be safe.

Dream let his emotions out and cried openly in front of his friend, his eyes watered and his lip trembled, and Sapnap was right there to hold him. The tears were ones of joy, and Dream and Sapnap sat together for a couple of minutes relishing in the fact that they were going to be brothers and best friends.

* * *

Years pass by and Dream is old enough to get a job, It didn’t pay much and he had to do a lot of hard work, but the first thing he did with his money was buy something for Sapnap.

Looking around in stores Dream wanted to buy a gift for his brother, something to show how much he meant to Dream and how grateful he was to call him family. Looking around Dream found a set of headwear: a white smiley face mask, a white bandana, and a pair of white rimmed sunglasses. As soon as Dream laid eyes on it, he knew it was perfect. Spending almost all of his pay check on it Dream picked up the set and went home to find Sapnap.

Upon arriving Dream found his mom in the living room reading and Sapnap making some lunch.

“Oh hey Dream! You’re just in time for lunch.”

“Yeah, hey could you come here, I have something I want to give you.”

“Um, okay? Just hang on a sec and let me finish this up.”

Dream sits down in the living room and Sapnap joins him and his mom.

“I just wanted to say thank you, for all those years ago when we met, and you guys took me in like family and you raised me. And thank you for putting up with me when I did some stupid things, and thank you for sticking by my side when no one else would. I thought I should spend my first paycheck on you guys and get you a little something.” his voice was soft and genuine, you could see the tears start to steam down his face, but that didn’t stop him from finishing his speech.

“Oh, Dream, honey you didn’t have to get us anything. As soon as Sapnap brought you over I knew that you two would become really close and you would be family.”

“Yeah, Dream, just being with you is a good enough gift.” Sapnap says genuinely and it elicits a small chuckle from Dream.

“Well anyway, I got us a matching set of items. For you mom, a pair of sunglasses, and for you Sapnap this headband.” He hands the items off with pride, it was the first thing he has ever gotten legitimately, with no stealing and no tricks. He placed the mask on his head, it looked weird on him. He wasn’t sure if he would wear it, but the gift wasn’t for him, it was for his family, a sign of how they were united.

The two looked at the items and then at Dream, their eyes also started to water. They put the items on immediately and brought Dream into a group hug. They silently promised to never take off or lose them. The family sat there holding each other, nothing could ruin the moment.


	2. Lost in the Flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sapnap and Dream spend the day together. By the time they get back it is dark outside and the only thing they have to light the path is a fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! here is the second chapter. I'm glad you guys liked the first one!
> 
> There is like one or two curse words.   
> Um, it is kinda heavy so I don't know if I should put a trigger warning or not, but if you want me to don't be afraid to tell me!
> 
> on another note I can't believe what happened yesterday on the SMP!

Dream and Sapnap left early in the morning and went to explore the forest. It was the first time in months that they finally both had some time off of work, so they were going to spend the day exploring and hanging out like they used to when they were young. They walked by each other’s side, Sapnap with his backpack full of snacks and Dream with his mask over his face trying to see through it. 

“Dude you look stupid with the mask on. I think it is more for aesthetic purposes rather than practicality.”

“Well, I don’t look like anything, because I can’t fucking see out of this thing! The holes are way too small. Why even put them there in the first place if it was not meant to be used!” He trips over a rock.

“SEE!”

“Yeah, but you can’t.” Sapnap chuckles

“Haha”

“Why even bother with it on your face?”

“I don’t know, I kinda like how mysterious it makes me feel.”

“Sure, I guess” Sapnap shrugs

The two continue on their way, eventually getting into a friendly competition. They set up obstacles that one had to run full speed at and dodge while the other had to chase them. If you got caught you had to do the other’s laundry for a month. Sapnap and Dream both put up a good fight, however Dream was eventually able to secure a win by making Sapnap have to jump through an obstacle, of which he almost made, but got his shirt caught on a branch.

“Not fair, you did that on purpose” Sapnap complained between huffs of breath.

“Hey, all's fair in love and war.” Dream shoots back equally exhausted. 

“What ever, I guess you win”

They start back to a small clearing where they left their items, and fall down into the grass. 

“Hey Sap, you got any water in that bag of yours?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know” he shoots back clutching his bag a little closer to his chest. 

“I would actually,” still having some energy left Dream lunges forward, and snatches the bag right from his arms.

“HEY!” Sapnap bounds upward ready for a fight but Dream was already rummaging through the bag.

“Dude, did you pack the whole pantry?! Why did you bring so much food, we are only going to be out for the day, not a whole week.”

“Don’t make fun of me! I was packing extra just in case.”

“In case of What? A war?”

“I dunno, in case something happened or if we meet someone, I guess”

“Okay Mr. Caution” Dream mocks, he grabs one of the bottles of water and then tosses the bag back to Sapnap, careful not to drop any of its contents. He then plops himself back on the grass and lays down. 

Sapnap, zips up his bag again and lays down next to Dream. “It's a beautiful day isn’t it.”  
“Yep, I’m glad we could spend it together” Dream’s eyelids droop.  
“Me too.” Sapnap stifles a yawn.

They drift slowly into sleep.

* * *

Sapnap is the first awake. It is late afternoon and the Sunset was about to start. Noticing his brother still asleep Sapnap takes a snack out of his bag and starts to munch on it. He stands up and leaves in search of a patch of flowers he was sure he saw earlier. 

By the time Dream woke up the sun was almost below the horizon, and the area was lit up by the sole lantern by his side.

“Finally man! I was beginning to think that you died in your sleep!” Sapnap punches his arm playfully, “anyway, look at what I made you!” He pulls out a flower bracelet. 

Still a little groggy Dream takes a moment to respond “I bet you spent at least an hour on that” 

“What noooooo” Sapnap’s face reddens slightly embarrassed. 

Dream takes the bracelet and puts it on, it fits perfectly. “How long was I out? It's practically dark.”

“A few hours, you must have pushed yourself a little too much to win the competition.” Sapnap jokes and tosses Dream a snack from his bag, “let's head home before mom gets too worried.” The two walk in silence for a while, Dream just hanging out and Sapnap holding the lantern.

“Wait, do you have a matching bracelet?”

“Hmm? Oh yeah, I also made one for mom and picked some fresh flowers in my bag.”

“That’s nice.” 

They continue on their way, not bothering to fill the companionable silence. 

“Um, hey Sapnap, do you smell that?” 

“Yeah,” he sticks his nose to the sky “I do, it kinda smells like…” The realization hits them both at the same time, their eyes widen and they turn to each other before bolting toward the smell. 

Looking briefly at the sky, they notice the smoke calmly making its way across the area. It was flowing smoothly and was just barely noticeable against the stars. Making it out of the forest, the two see their village up in flames. Every house is a fiery orange, and the black plumage of smoke drifted up and out of every house on the block. Ashes were scattered everywhere and people were running to get to safety. Sapnap and Dream had to push through some people before making it to their house. Sapnap was first, and burst through the door screaming for his mom. 

“Mom! Mom! Please Mom! Where are you?”

Seconds later Dream is through the door. “SAPNAP! Stay low to the ground okay, walk quickly and put your shirt over your mouth let’s look for her together.”

Dream gets a nod of affirmation from Sapnap. They two stick close together and start at the back of the house with their mother’s room. Neither of them saw her, so they continued on their way. Faintly Sapnap hears “Dream? Sapnap? Is that you?” Sapnap gets a burst of energy, “follow me, I heard her voice.”

The two make it into the living room where they see that one of the support beams had fallen and was in a heap on the floor. 

“MOM!” they shout in unison. Each drop on to the floor to be closer to their mother. She was badly burnt on the arm, and most of her long black hair was singed off. Her once regal clothes were now covered in soot and had burn holes in them.

“My sons, please listen.” her voice was soft and patient, “Go grab what you can from your rooms okay? Grab whatever else you might need and get out. Do you understand?” 

Fear shot through Sapnap’s body “NO MOM I’M NOT LEAVING YOU! D-Dream and I w-we can work together and we can get you out I-I just know we can!” 

“Dream, please, just grab the stuff.” With a heavy heart and tears, Dream nods his head and quickly leaves.

“Sapnap, Sapnap, look at me,” she grabs his hand, “I know you want to help me, I know you will beat yourself up over this, but son it's too late. No matter how hard you try, there just isn’t enough time to get me out.” Tears are streaming down her face. “Please baby, get out while you can and remember me when I’m gone.” She places something in Sapnap’s hand. 

“Mom, no, you said you would never leave me, you promised me that you would always be there for me.” Sapnap is practically yelling, his face is in a deep frown and the tears just won’t stop falling down his face.

“Just promise me that no matter what, you and Dream stick together, okay? No matter how hard the times may get, always have each other’s back, okay? Never give up on each other. Protect each other. Remember I love you with all my heart.”

“Sapnap we need to go!” 

He barely can hear Dream yelling his name ‘ _ not like this, she wasn’t supposed to leave so soon, she was going to grow old and he would be with her. How could the universe be so cruel? _ ’

“SAPNAP WE NEED TO LEAVE NOW” Dream knows he won’t move away, so he picks up the man as best he can and starts running out of the house.

“DREAM NO! WE CAN’T LEAVE HER, SHE CAN’T DIE NOW. WE CAN STILL HELP HER, I KNOW WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE PLEASE!” he is kicking and screaming trying his best to wrangle himself out of Dream’s arms but it was no use, Dream had too tight hold on him. 

“Remember, I love you with a burning passion. You are my little flame.” that was the last he heard before he was outside, with the wind blowing against his hair as Dream continued to get them to a safer place. He tightens his grip on Dream, frightened that he might leave too. 

"It's okay Sapnap, we're almost there. We're almost there." Dream reassures him but he's deaf to the world. 

Dream's legs were killing him. He just needed to get Sapnap somewhere safe and then he could go back. Back to help his mom. Back to help others who may need it. Back to a time when he was in Sapnap's position.  _ 'Not now, I need to help him first and foremost.'  _ So Dream kept running, he dodged burning lamp posts, jumped over flaming barrels and found a route to safety. He made his way to where most other of the villagers were standing, but he did notice a sizable amount of them missing. He leaned Sapnap against a tree, hoping to snap him back to reality, back to a state of thinking. But he sat there consumed by sadness, holding on to words his mother said as well as the glasses in his hand. Dream wanted to go back and save his mom, to tell Sapnap that she was going to be just fine, but he couldn’t, he could do nothing except hold onto his brother tight, and weep. 

Weep for the lives lost, weep for the only home he has ever known, weep for his brother, weep for his lost mother, weep for the broken promises. 

He sits with his brother in his arms and two backpacks by his side, the mask pulled over face so that he may cry openly. He needed a front, something to reassure Sapnap that everything was okay, that he was still strong. But behind it was someone weak and broken. It was a moment filled with sorrow, one that would not be forgotten. They would sit there for however long they needed to, until the tears fell no more, until everyone else has left, until the sun sets and rises over the horizon. It would be just them, and for now that was all they had. 

* * *

Sapnap made it to a state of thinking, but he was mourning, as was Dream, but he had to pull himself together, so that they may survive. Dream got food and water for the two of them and made sure to tell Sapnap where he was going to be at all times, and when he was going to be back. Sapnap was still unresponsive but he knew that he still worried every time Dream left his side, or was out of sight. Dream started to wear his mask more often, he wanted something to hide his emotions behind, put up a front to be strong for Sapnap. He was also self conscious of the burn on the side of his face. 

At night they held each other close, and in the morning they were both reluctant to let go. 

“What are we going to do, Dream?” his voice is soft and rough with lack of use. 

Dream has to do a double take to make sure he heard him right. “Well, I was hoping you would like to visit her grave.” They make eye contact and Dream can see the flicker of life shoot through Sapnap’s eyes. “Here, eat some food and drink some water, then we can go.” Dream hands it over, and Sapnap is slow to take it. He took his time, still getting used to using his body again. 

Dream watches him, hoping that he will continue to get better, hoping that they are able to get back to some sense of normalcy. 

When Sapnap finished, Dream packed up their stuff, and helped Sapnap to stand. Slowly the two made their way to their mother’s grave. Neither of them spoke on the journey. 

Once they made it, the two sat down right next to the headstone. In front of it was a picture Dream managed to grab from the house, and the flowers Sapnap had picked the day of the fire. Sapnap handed the glasses over to Dream and picked up the picture frame. Dream put them in his inventory, keeping them safe for the moment. 

“Hey mom, I miss you.” his voice was soft as he looked at the picture of the three of them years prior. “My flame hasn’t gone out, don't worry, it's just weak and needs some more fuel. Heh, Dream’s been taking care of us, taking care of me. I hope you have been doing well, and I hope that you don’t worry about us. We will be fine.” He hugs the picture frame, with no tears left to fall. 

The two sat there until it got dark, still holding the frame they left to find a spot to rest under the stars, still weary of sleeping under a roof. 

Dream wakes up at the crack of dawn, the sun just barely above the horizon and leaves a note for Sapnap in case he wakes up before he gets back. Dream takes his bag and visits the grave once more. 

“Hey mom, I’ve got your glasses. I just wanted to say thank you and th-that we will be leaving. I-I just wanted to make sure you knew, but I think it is best for both Sapnap and I that we take what we have and we settle somewhere new. I wanted to still tell you even though you always said ‘home isn't a place’” he starts to choke up. “Please watch over us, I just know the path won't get any easier for a while. A-and just know I will always keep you in my heart.” Dream melts to the ground balling his eyes out. He holds the glasses tight like it was a life line. “We won’t forget you. We’ll never forget you.” he says between sobs before falling into silence. After ten minutes or so he got up slowly and went back to Sapnap. 

Dream returns, and sees that Sapnap was still asleep so he sat with him and messed around with his hair to keep himself distracted. Sapnap wakes up about 30 minutes later to Dream absentmindedly braiding some strands of his hair. 

“Good morning sleepy head.”

“Mornin’ Dream.”

“Have some breakfast, I wanted to run something by you real quick.” 

Sapnap sat up a little more alert and intrigued by what Dream had to offer. 

“Listen, I’ve thought about this a lot and, I know it will be hard, but I think it is in our best interest that we leave this place.” Dream doesn’t have the heart to look at Sapnap. “A-and before you say anything, I do think that we can’t stay here, there isn’t anything here for us anymore. It's just filled with too many bad memories now.” he sighs and finally looks up. 

His mouth was agape and his brows furrowed in confusion. “But Dream this was our home, how could we leave it?”

“I know, I know. But remember what mom used to say ‘home isn’t a place, it's the people. And Sap you are my home, you are filled with good memories.” his heart aches at the reminder of his mother, but he knows this is what she wanted.

“A-and what bout mom and her grave? I-If we leave then she would be here alone.” Sapnap is still holding onto the thought of her and being with her. 

“Sap, she’s in your heart now. She will always be with us, watching over, checking up on us. We also have her glasses, her picture and” he pulls an item out of his backpack. A black string bracelet, skinny and simple with the names of the two boys on it. “This”

“Her favorite bracelet” his mouth gapes. “How did you get it? I thought it burned.”

“I was able to grab it in the rush. See Sapnap, not only is she always with you in your heart but we have these keepsakes. Just in case we ever need a physical reminder that she is with us.” Dream smiles at the memories.

Sapnap pulls Dream into a hug, “you’re right Dream. We’ve sat here for too long wasting away slowly. We need to get a move on and start a new life!” His fire was fueled with vigor. 

“Heh, that’s the spirit! I was thinking later this week we could leave, just so we have enough supplies okay?”

“Right!” With new found passion Sapnap was excited to start a new journey even if it meant his mother wasn’t by his side physically. He kept the bracelet on his wrist and the photo in his bag. He knew Dream and him could take on the world. 


	3. New Relationships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sapnap and Dream find a new area to settle down in, their life is monotonous until a new face comes by. A bond is formed and strengthened between them and they decided to be friends through thick and thin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3! sorry it took a while to come out, I've gotten a bit busier, but the next chapter should be out next week, or at least in the next couple of days.   
> Again if there is anything that might be triggering make sure to tell me and I will put a warning where it is.   
> Comments are appreciated!

Throughout the week, the two gathered supplies and said their goodbyes. By the end they had enough to last them a couple of weeks, even more if they rationed enough. Dream didn’t think they would be out for that long, but Sapnap insisted. Finally they were on their way, laughing and joking, playing games, and just being teenagers. 

They went to villages and talked to the locals, they slept under the stars, they had little adventures, but it took awhile for them to find a suitable place to settle down. 

While they enjoyed the places they visited and the people around it, none of them felt quite right. They spent around a year traveling, going to new places and meeting new people, making friends, and just having a good time. 

It was then that they found a small village. There were a few families trying to grow their community, but was unsuccessful. Nearby was a large clearing, enough space for a whole other area to be built. The landscape was beautiful, there were mountains in the distance, large ponds and lakes, a coastal shore not too far, and a wonderful pine forest. 

The two talked about it thoroughly, spending three or four hours debating on if it was finally the perfect place to call home, when Dream settled it when he mentioned about telling some of their friends they met along their journey. 

So, they get to work. They build a relatively small house, a little ways out from the main houses, and decide to get a job working with some of the other people in the village. They were welcomed with open arms and Dream gets a job out by the water, helping with packing and shipping goods, while Sapnap manages to get two part time jobs, one where he is a cashier and the other where he helps in the mail room. 

They settled down and got into a routine. Dream was out for most of the day, but he was able to get more time off than Sapnap. They were comfortable and happy. Half a year in, Sapnap suggests that they actually do send some letters out to their friends and ask them if they would like to join. It took them a few days to get the right names and craft a relatively fancy letter, but Sapnap was able to send them out, and they waited for a response. Despite knowing that it would take a while for the letters to actually get to the recipients and for them to send a response back, Sapnap was still nervous. Every day he would check their mail and every day he was disappointed. He stopped looking forward to the day he finally got mail, when someone new came into the store he was working in. 

Immediately at the sight of a new face, Sapnap was intrigued and excited to meet the new person. “Hello there!”

The man lifts his head up, his eyes a light brown, with hair that floated on top of his head. The blue shirt was loose, and his Jeans looked well worn. “Uhh, Hello.” his accent was slightly noticeable.

“I’m Sapnap, If you need any help, just call me over!” his face had a genuine smile. The man gave him a nod of affirmation, and turned back around to continue what he was doing. Sapnap watched him as discreetly as he could, wondering what the man was doing in the village, it was somewhere off the beaten path and wasn’t on any map. 

The man walks over to the counter to check the items out. 

“Did you find everything okay?” Sapnap starts his customer service speech.

“Yeah” the man shrugs nonchalantly. 

“That’s good. So, I haven’t seen you around before, are you new here?” Sapnap hopes he doesn’t sound suspicious, and is just trying to make some small talk. 

“Yeah, just got here.”

_ 'Oh, not much of a talker are you?’ _ “Well I hope you plan on staying, we have a few things to offer, and we are relatively unknown.” 

The man considers it and Sapnap finishes checking him out. “I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day!” 

“Thanks, you too” the man’s voice rings back, and he walks out of the store. 

Sapnap grabs his phone and shoots Dream a quick text, knowing that he won’t see it until later, and he continues about his day, wondering if the stranger was planning on living in the village as well. 

Late in the evening, Dream gets home and Sapnap was in the middle of making dinner. 

“Hey Sap how was your day?” Dream started as soon as he walked in the door. He puts his coat up and turns around to see Sapnap standing right in front of him. 

“Agh!” his body jumped a little and his heart started racing, “dude, don’t scare me like that!” he punches Sapnap, “I thought you were in the kitchen.” 

Sapnap full with excitement, bounced up and down slightly unable to contain himself. “My day was exciting!”

“Yeah? What happened?” Dream entertains. 

“Okay, so, I was working my normal shift at the store right? Preparing for a normal boring day, stocking shelves, unpacking boxes, all the usual, right? Well just when I least expect it a person walks in!” his hands were expressive and he talked like he was going to forget it. 

“And what you punch them because you got scared?” he chuckles

“What? No! I look up and I see a new face!” Sapnap grins even wider. “Just someone who walked in, I knew immediately that he was new, because I’ve never seen him before right? I introduced myself and made sure to tell him that he could ask me for help.” Dream’s face was slightly shocked. “When he was ready to check out, I tried to make small talk, ask him what he was doing, if he was new, and he didn’t really give me an answer. He just wasn’t very talkative, so I finished and let him on his merry way.” Sapnap finishes waiting for a response from Dream. 

“Well, you’re right that is exciting.”

“Do you think he will stay? I mean he looks around our age.”

“I dunno Sap, you know we do sometimes get people who just pass through.” Dream counters trying to keep his hope down, as much as he loved routine and normalcy, he wanted something exciting to happen. 

“Yeah, but not enough! He looked like he walked in toward the village, rather than leaving and asking for directions like most visitors!” This was the most excited Sapnap had been since sending out the invitations. 

“Well, let’s just keep an eye out for him okay, and if he leaves then he does. No hard feelings” 

“I know, but wouldn’t it be a nice change if he stayed, and brought something new to the village!” Sapnap was still holding on this person, even though he didn’t know his name. 

“I guess it would,” Dream considers, “but he could be here for anything. I doubt we’ll see him on a normal basis.”

“That’s your opinion. I think that he could be our friend.”

“You put too much faith in people Sapnap.” Dream shakes his head, “now come on, let’s eat dinner.”

* * *

The next morning Dream goes through his normal routine, waking up before the sun, getting dressed, making a quick bite and heading out to work. His day was relatively normal, until his boss comes in about half way through and asks to see him in his office.

Confused Dream goes, thinking about the reasons for the meeting. He always worked hard and did well, so it couldn’t be to fire him right?

Dream knocks on the door and gets permission to enter, he walks in and notices a man standing off to the side of the desk.

“Dream! My boy, welcome! Thank you for coming quickly, I know you don’t get called to my office, and I know you are busy, so, I will make this quick. I have a new job for you. You aren’t getting fired, you are just getting... reassigned to do something else for the moment.” His voice animated and his hands wild. “This here,” he gestures toward the man standing by the desk. “Is George. I’m not sure if you know this but the company has a division elsewhere and they sent George here to our grounds for a project. They have asked to pair him up with the best person, and I chose you. So, you are to work with him on this project, and help him with whatever he needs, can you do that?”

Dream was surprised, was this the man Sapnap was talking about? And he was getting put on a cool new project. I guess life _was_ getting exciting. “Yes sir I can.” He replies firmly.  
“Great! I want you two to get acquainted and then start right away. So, you are released from duty.” He hands George a stack of papers and then the two leave his office. 

“Well, I didn’t expect that today” Dream places his hands in his pockets, more relaxed than when he entered the office. “Guess we should do proper introductions, I’m Dream,” he sticks his hand out. 

“George,” he says rather coldly with a nod of his head, and continues walking. 

“Um right. So, what is this project we are working on? I can’t imagine it being too exciting, I mean, I work for a shipping company.” he tries to make some small talk. George doesn’t respond, instead he turns into an unoccupied room and places the stack of papers down. 

“Listen, Dream, I don’t want to be here, okay? So let’s just get started, the sooner we get going the faster we get it done.”  
“Right sure but, I have no Idea what we are doing, so if you could just tell me then we can get the ball rolling.” 

George sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose.

“Hey don’t get all mad at me! I get called out of work, to help on something I have no idea about, if anything I should be the one upset.” Dream crosses his arms further emphasizing his point. 

“Right, sorry. It has been a long couple of days.” George starts to look through the papers. “So the project is to set up this facility with updated technology, and make sure it all works.” 

“Updated technology?” Dream laughs “Dude! The stuff is like 50 years old, what could you possibly do to it, that makes it updated.” 

“I know it sounds crazy but that is what I’m here for, I’ve got the supplies I just have to install it and what not.”

“So what is my job?, if you have everything under control what could I possibly do to help?”

“Well, It is my understanding that you will be my guide throughout the area, showing me where I need to go, I was also told that you would be the brawn to my operation.”

Dream wheezes out a laugh. “S-so I am supposed to babysit you!” He doubles over. 

“N-no!” His face turns a deep red from embarrassment. “Plus you aren’t going to just sit there while I do all the work you will actually help.”

“Yeah?” Dream is struggling to breathe, “what else could I possibly do?”

“Y-you you could help me code!” His hands cover his mouth.

It takes a second for Dream to calm down, but he isn’t laughing anymore. “Code? Uh That is not something I know how to do well.”  
“Oh? So you know how to code?” George was intrigued, he didn't think anyone in the area knew anything about coding and computers. 

“Just the bare basics, I took a class a while back.” Dream waves his hand, it had been a few years, so he was definitely rusty, but he could code something simple. “Anyway, we can’t possibly start the project now, you don’t even know your way around town, let alone the facility. Let me take you on a tour.”

George reluctantly agrees and the two go around to every room. It took about three hours as Dream stopped and talked to everyone who they met along their tour. Around lunch, they finally made it back to the room they started in and George grabbed his things and told Dream that they could continue the tour after lunch. Dream offered to buy him something but George declined and told him to meet back in an hour at the office. Shrugging it off Dream grabbed his items from his locker and went home to shower. Being home at such an early time was foreign to Dream, he never had time for himself. He was always working. 

Eating lunch Dream planned out the route he would take George on the tour and decided the very last stop to be the post office where Sapnap was working for the evening.

Afterward Dream went to the facility early and waited for George to show. He had changed into more comfortable clothes, a deep green shirt and some Jeans, with the Smiley face mask pushed up on his head.

He saw George and met him halfway. He was still wearing his blue shirt, and ripped jeans. “So, are you ready to continue the tour?”

“Yeah, just one question, What is that on your head?” 

“Hmm,” Dream pulls the mask down and covers his face. “Its an accessory.” 

“It's a very  _ interesting _ accessory,” George comments. Dream pulls the mask back onto his head and leads George back out of the facility. He starts the tour at one end of the village, and it doesn’t take long for them to reach the other side. 

“And where do you live? Cause you don’t seem the type to be in one of these houses.” George asks, genuinely curious. 

“Yeah, I live outside the village a little ways away.” Dream waves his hand in the general direction. 

Sunset was approaching when Dream led them to their last destination. “This here is the post office. You can send mail to just about anywhere, and we only charge if the package is relatively big.”

“That is actually really cool for a village kinda off the grid.”

Dream opens the door and lets George enter first. The building was relatively small with a portion of it dedicated to envelopes and a station to write letters. The back wall was a big square shelf, it was divided into portions and had baskets in each one. There were labels over them, and some had small pictures printed on them. A large countertop separated the two areas and a person was just barely noticeable behind it. They had not heard the two men enter. 

Dream motioned George to stay quiet and he snuck around to the counter. He stood up to his full height and practically yelled “HEY SAP!” 

Sap, under the counter, banged their head “oww. Dream what time is it, why are you here?”

George noticed them rubbing their head.

“Nothing just wanted to show you something.”

“Well, what is it? You know I get busy around here.” His voice was impatient. 

“Stand up and find out.”

Sap stands up and looks at Dream. George recognized the person immediately. He saw him yesterday, working at the store. ‘ _ What was his name again? _ ’ 

“Sapnap this is George,” Dream waves the man over. 

George awkwardly waves, and Sapnap’s mood does a 180. “Yeah! Hi George, I’m Sapnap! Remember me from yesterday, at the store?” he stuck his hand out for a proper introduction. 

“I do.” George shakes his hand, saying nothing more. He had put his guard back up, it was broken down slightly by spending the day with Dream, but he went back to a rather cold demeanor. 

“George and I are working on a project together,” Dream says “I’ll tell you about it later when you are off work. We are going to finish up our tour.”

“Okay! It was nice meeting you George!” Sapnap’s smile lit up the room “have fun with the tour!” With that the two men walked out and down the street. 

“You seemed more friendly with Sapnap,” George notices

“Yeah, well when you’ve known him as long as I have, it is easy to just let loose and mess around.” The two stop at the crossroads. “I believe that concludes our tour. I told you the village was rather small.”  
“Yep, I guess I will see you tomorrow at work?” 

“Yes sir,” Dream does a fake solute.

The two walk their separate ways as dusk creeps across the sky. 

Normally Dream would have gotten home, gone right to his room and went to bed, but with his new assignment and, knowing that Sapnap would wake him up if he didn’t hear the story, he occupied himself with looking upon his old coding notes. 

Sapnap practically ran home when his shift was over. All he could think about was rubbing it in Dream’s face that he was right as well as learning more about George. He opened the door, threw his stuff down and made a b-line right to Dream’s room.

“Hey Sapna-” 

“Tell me everything!” he flopped right down onto Dream’s bed. 

“Eager as ever I see.” Dream starts a recollection of the day’s events with Sapnap making small comments now and again. 

Dream finished and Sapnap immediately went into bragging mode. “I told you we could be friends!” 

“Well we aren’t quite friends yet, I’d say more just like a business partner. Plus I’ve only known him for one day.” 

“But for the project, you have to hang out, right? That means you can spend more time together and get to know each other. Then by the end you will have a friend!” 

“Why do you want us to be friends so badly? We know everyone in the village.”  
“That’s not the same and you know it. Just because you know them doesn’t mean you _know_ them.” 

“You make no sense.”

“Just try to make a friend okay? Promise me?” He sticks his pinky out like they used to. 

“WOW, bringing out the big guns ey? Fine I promise that I will make an effort to be George’s friend.” He fulfills the promise by grabbing his pinky. 

“You know what?, I think I could be George’s friend faster than you can!” Sapnap comments as he is in the doorway. Dream swiftly grabs a pillow and throws it at the man, but anticipating it Sapnap closes the door to protect himself. 

“Be his friend faster, ha, I’d like to see you try.” Dream mutters to himself before going to pick the pillow up, silently accepting the challenge.

* * *

George spends the first week teaching Dream about the software and different components that they would be installing. They also spend time going deeper into coding and making sure Dream is more proficient in it. By the end of the first month they were able to install less than a quarter of the technology, the process was long and laborious, each of them spending plenty of sleepless nights looking over code and being on call.

As each day went by George opened up more, he spoke freely and mentioned more about himself. Dream was finally able to invite George over to his house, it started as a dinner and quickly evolved into a work night chatting and coding. When they finally were able to get some time off they spent it with each other, as well as slowly mixing in Sapnap. While he wasn't even close to being a coder, he always was able to lift the mood and make them smile. 

The three soon became inseparable, Dream and George working on the project and Sapnap being moral support and reminding them to take breaks. George spent more time at Dream and Sapnap's house than he did his own. So they invited him to stay, the house had an unoccupied third room that was like storage but never really got utilized. They worked in their spare time to finish the room, and George was able to move in. 

The project was a year and a half in when the three started talking about George staying there permanently. No returning after the project but finding something new with them. It was a bit of a touchy subject. They all wanted to stay together, but feared that the others might not think the same. It wasn't until George got a call from his manager that he put the final nail in the coffin and decided to stay. 

The day was stressful with each project failing to operate properly and even blowing some circuits. Nothing was going right and George was not about to give up, he just needed to fix one thing, then he could call it a day. Dream was off performing his normal duties as they needed extra hands and Sapnap had the day off but was doing some grocery shopping. So George was left alone in the house, looking through code, fixing mistakes, testing circuits, a normal afternoon, if you didn't account for the fact that he burnt his hand multiple times and every line of code he read seemed to escape his mind and he was finding more mistakes than he was fixing.

His phone rumbled and shook the table ever so slightly, he picked it up absentmindedly hoping for a slight distraction. His heart dropped when he heard the person on the other side. 

"Hello George," the voice was level and monotonous.

"H-hello sir," George sat up straighter, glancing around the room as if he was being watched. 

"Good job so far, I can see you have made progress, but I'm afraid that you need to hurry up. Your time is running out and I need you back here for another project." George shivered, he could hear a slight smirk on his boss, like he knew what he was inflicting on his employee. "Right sir, another year and a half at most until the end I believe. We are trying to work as proficient as possible but it has proven difficult."

"The clock is ticking, I expect you to be timely." The line went dead. 

George took a deep breath and put the phone down. He was shaking slightly and held his head. 

He screamed. 

His voice rang through the empty house, his voice and eyes were wet with anger. He couldn't take it anymore. Even with Dream and him working day and night, they would just barely finish in time. They could try and recruit Sapnap, but then they would have to account for time to teach him the language and the frustrations that come with it. So he sat and he screamed. There was nothing he could do, even if it killed him he would finish what he started, after all he was too far in to quit now. His voice grew hoarse and his throat dry, it felt like he was there for hours. Tears streamed down his face, he was still unable to move, he was in his own head, thinking his mind racing from one subject to another. 

Sapnap was the first home, his arms were full and his breath ragged. He placed everything down and went to George's room, knowing that the man wouldn't hear him if he yelled. 

"Hey George, I know it's a little late, but would you like some lun-" his eyes widen, and he rushes over, "hey man, what's wrong?" Sapnap's voice was soft as he knelt down next to George's chair. "Hey, goggy? Can you look at me please? I want you to take deep breaths okay? You are going to be fine, I'll count okay?" 

George moves slightly. 

"In 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Out 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." Sapnap repeats himself, never taking his eyes off of George, making sure the man was following along. Slowly Sapnap pulled him into an embrace, George was still shaking but was able to get his breathing under control. 

"It's okay George, I'm here, you don't have to talk if you want to, just know that I'm here. Dream will be here soon too, okay? Just focus breathing, focus on me." They sat together with nothing but the sound of their breathing.

Dream got home not too long later, he noticed the abandoned groceries and immediately assumed the worst. He rushed through the rest of the house, looking for his friends and found them on the floor. Sapnap motioned him over and Dream joined the hug, not saying anything other than telling George that he was there. The three embraced each other well into the night, electing to even spend the rest of the night in George's room with him. Sapnap left to put the cold items away and reassured George that he was coming back. 

_ "What did I ever do to deserve such great friends?"  _ George fell asleep. 

Upon awakening he still found his friends by his side, but in a rather awkward position, with Sapnap falling out the bed and Dream somehow managing to be upside down. He carefully got up and started his day with a warm shower. Dream and Sapnap weren't too far behind, and each started their day. Sapnap made sure to call ahead and take the day off to spend it with George. They sat at the table with breakfast, none of them filling the silence afraid of what would happen if they did. 

George spoke avoiding eye contact and explaining himself for his actions. He started with his day, made his way to the phone call, and explained how he felt. Sapnap and Dream looked at him, and said that he didn't need to be sorry and that it was okay to let your feelings out. They spent the day just being in each other's presence and racking their brains for a solution to their problem. 

They came up with calling in recruitments, resending letters to some of their friends who they thought could be of help. All of which responded promptly and all of which were happy to help. None of them however were able to be there in person but they could help digitally. 

Even with the help George was constantly stressed, he had a terrible sleep schedule and ate infrequently, he would zone out, and definitely drank too much coffee. Sapnap and Dream both did their best to remind George to take a break and even at times forcefully drag him away from his computer, but their efforts were always met in vain. Neither of them gave up and they persisted. Being patient with George when he snapped and never thinking twice when he asked for something the two were by his side every step of the way.

Their deadline was closing in and George was even more stressed. He was constantly rushing back and forth double checking everything. When they finally had a slow moment George pulled his friends aside and thanked them. 

"You both have been so patient with me, when I wasn't to you. You helped me, and never got mad. So, thank you. Not just for this but for everything. For making the effort to get to know me, for continuing down this path." His voice was soft, the words flowed out of his mouth like a poem from the heart, he had practiced what he was going to say and it was time for the biggest part. "These past few months have been hectic to say the least, and I remember not so long ago talking about me staying permanently. I have thought about it and I am going to quit my job. This stress and crazy has not, and will not pay off. It is all for a reward that I care nothing about. The only thing I do care about is you. You have been there for me and I want to be there for you. So, I will stay. I'll find something else to do." He ends slightly out of breath. He practiced in the mirror and it wasn't any easier to say it.

Dream and Sapnap simultaneously had their faces light up, like they weren't expecting the conversation to take a turn in that direction. They each leapt forward and embraced George in a hug. It didn't last very long as they knew that he had plenty of work to do and not enough time left. 

George and his team finished a few days early, but even with the workload off his back he wasn't any less restless. He was just awaiting the call from his boss. Hoping that everything was in working order and that he could rest.

The call came in and he was congratulated, each word sounded like honey and venom at the same time. The sweet words congratulated him and praised him, but the voice was toxic and the meaning behind them were enough to make anyone sick. George mustered up the courage to finally quit. Before his boss could get any further and talk about reassignments he resigned. The voice went silent in shock and hung up. 

George did it, he was finally free, he could rest easy for the moment with not a care in the world. He walked out of his room and was greeted by Sapnap and Dream, with the latter holding out a wrapped box. It was rather small and rectangular. Its blue paper and red ribbon shimmered in the light ever so slightly.

"We're proud of you George, you've come so far and you stood up for yourself. We are glad to call you our friend and we want you to have this." 

George takes the gift and unwraps it rather slowly, unsure of what the gift could be. The lid of the box came off and sitting inside was a pair of white rimmed glasses.

Sapnap explains how they once belonged to their mother, and their past. Although it had been a few years the story wasn't easier to tell. He finished with tears streaming down his face and leaning into Dream for comfort.

"Sapnap and I want you to have them now."

"B-but Dream," George was exasperated. "I can't take this. It means so much to you both. It just wouldn't be right." He tries to hand the glasses back to Dream and Sapnap but they shake their heads. 

"You stand for what she did, you are similar in many ways and- heh- you remind us of her a little." Sapnap's tears were slowing down.

"It's what she would have wanted." Dream concludes tears threatening to fall out of his eyes as well. 

"Really?" George looks at the glasses and sees his reflection in the lenses.

"Thank you." He looks back up at his two friends and embraces them. 

The three hugged it out. They fell to the floor grateful for the embrace and sat there. George promised to never take the glasses off and to take good of them. 


	4. Rekindling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dream Team finally start the DreamSMP. Things get out of hand and Sapnap turns to one person he knows he can rely on for advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late chapter again! I had it written but I just couldn't find the time to post it!  
> The chapter is kind of short but I do love the descriptions I put in.

Out of a job for the moment, George stayed home and worked on personal projects. Sapnap and Dream went back to work and even offered to help George get a job, but he declined; he was glad to be relieved of any duties and just wanted to relax.

Things were starting to get boring again, so Dream and Sapnap brought up the idea of asking their friends to join them to George. 

George was reluctant. He wasn't the best at making friends and meeting new people, but he trusted his friends. So they started to lay plans. They knew that a little ways away was a large area; enough for them and all their friends. Dream and Sapnap strategically took days off work so that they could spend it planning things out. When the plan was relatively finished, the three of them started to gather supplies.

They took a week off and traveled to the area. They were going to set up camp and then map out the area where their friends could all build. It was far enough from the village that they could become their own community and partake in all sorts of antics, but close enough for it to be a ready source of supplies. 

It was an exciting new adventure and Sapnap could hardly sit still. He was all over the place making sure things were going well and helping out even in the smallest of things. 

He did however, spend most of his time rewriting letters and making sure to word them just right as to persuade the reader, and even made an order to send them out. Each one was written in beautiful cursive, with the envelope decorated in gold accents with the name of the recipient in the middle. The letter itself had black lettering and asked the recipient if they wanted to join the "DreamSMP" with parentheses stating that it was a working title. The area was by invite only and was courtesy of the Dream Team where each of them signed their name below it. And trying to be funny they each chose different colors to do it in. Dream chose green, George blue, and Sapnap an orangey red. 

After they were sent, the trio got to work starting to build the center of their community and a new house. 

The first people to get invitations were those who helped George on the project, the reasoning being that they were close friends. The next batch went to people that were suggested, and the next few were to those who were met along Dream and Sapnap's travels. 

People started arriving and the area was built in. Pretty builds, ugly builds, it didn't matter to Dream as it was their area. It was  _ their _ home.  _ His _ home. 

The more people who arrived the more Dream started to wear his mask. He had gotten used to wearing it, and decided that it would make him more recognizable when he went to greet the new members. It was friendly enough that people trusted him, but it also gave him an aura of someone not to be messed with, which was what he wanted. 

He took the mantle of "ruling" over their community. He set some rules to keep everyone safe, he was also the head of everything big, with Sapnap and George as consultants as it was originally just the three of them. The two let Dream handle it for the most part as they knew how much the area meant to him. 

Dream expected there to be slight conflicts, with the community growing and new people joining with boundaries not yet set; he knew he had to be a mediator. 

What he didn't expect was a war. It was fine at first, small conflicts between members, he could handle that. He did handle it. But then a whole nation was created just to get under him and his rules. Something to tear apart his wonderful community, to tear apart his  _ family _ . He couldn't allow that. They were a happy family once and he needed that again, no small faction just the Dream SMP. It's all he's wanted. 

As things escalated Dream slowly lost himself. He tried desperately to keep calm and do what was best for the community as a whole, but it was hard. He lost his ideals and ways he once had. Something snapped inside of him and Sapnap was scared. He knew what the area meant to Dream, and the lengths he went through to make it great. But Sapnap had never seen this side of Dream, he started to be more secretive, hiding things, telling lies, doing things that seemed to benefit only him. 

Sapnap tried to confront Dream, but his concerns were brushed off with Dream just saying that he worried too much. 

Fearing the worst he turned to one other person, his mother. He took her photo and went to the highest area he could find; the closest to the stars. He set his lantern down and spoke. 

"Hey mom, I know it's been awhile but life has been hectic. We made a new friend, his name is George. He's nice and we've grown closer. Dream and I also gave him your glasses. He just reminded us of you and we thought he deserved it. But I'm not here to catch up with you, as much as I would like to." He looks down at the picture of the three of them and clutches it closer. "I'm not sure if you've noticed but Dream is acting weird. Something in him has changed and i-it scares me." He shivers despite it being a warm summer night. "I just don’t know what to do, I've tried to talk to him, but he kind of just avoided the question. I'm worried." As much as he tried not to cry, tears started to fall. "Please, mom help me." 

He stands in silence for a few moments waiting.

The wind picks up and his lantern glows brighter. The flame is fueled by the wind, pushing it to get bigger. It grows until it can't be contained by the lantern, and the wind stops. 

Sapnap takes a deep breath and turns around, his back to the sea of stars. He opens his eyes to see a very similar pair staring back at him.

"Hi Sappy, my little flame." Her voice was soft. And to see her smile warmed his heart. "Look how much you've grown! I guess your flame isn't so small now is it?" She looked just like he remembered her. Her long black hair, which was always tied back, her eyes a soft brown, her long flower shirt. 

Sapnap was glad that she didn't look like the night she died, that was something he tried his best to forget. "H-hi mom," his voice was wet. He took a moment to compose himself. 

"I'm glad you found someone to wear the glasses, I was starting to think that they would only collect dust!" She made the atmosphere light with her laugh which seemed to bounce and linger. 

"I'm glad we did too." Sapnap sniffles. 

"So about Dream, what's wrong?" She wanted to keep the atmosphere light, but she knew the subject was troubling her son. 

"He just isn't the same. Something happened and I dunno. I'm worried for him." He fiddled with his bracelet. 

Her ghostly form took her son's hands and sat with him. "I'm worried too. He's forgotten what I've taught you both."

“Yeah, but I think it's more than that.”

"I know honey. He's lost his way and it's up to you to help guide him on the right path again."

"I've tried mom, but he doesn't listen to me!" Sapnap huffed. 

"I know but you must not give up on your brother. Remember? Stick together, no matter how hard the times may get, always have each other’s back."

"I'm trying, he just- he just keeps pushing me away." 

"Well you keep going back, every time he tries to blow out your flame. Make it come back bigger and brighter." 

"It's been hard, what if he takes out the source of my flame?" Sapnap didn’t want to give up on his brother, but it was getting harder to stick by his side. 

The question shocked her for a moment but she responded quickly. "Then you find a new source. One that won't be taken so easily, one that gives you the oxygen to help you grow." 

Sapnap sits in silence thinking about what his mom just said. 

"What if you go and talk to him? He hasn't given me the time of day, but I'm sure he will for you." A small amount of hope flickers in Sapnap.

Her smile falters slightly, "honey you know I can't do that. I can only talk to him if he comes to me first.”

"Heh. Well it was worth a try." 

"Just continue to talk to him, be by his side, remind him of your friendship, and your history. I'm sure you'll get through to him. And no matter what,  _ never _ give up on each other." 

"Right mom." 

The two stand up again, still holding hands. 

"I love you with all my heart, my little flame." 

"I love you too mom." He squeezes her hand and let's go. 

Her body slowly starts to dissipate into smoke, with her face being the last to go. 

Sapnap stands there for a moment longer looking at the remains of the smoke, he grabs his lantern and travels back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on other social medias if you would like- I use lilypony23 for all the usarnames, so type it in and you should find me!  
> Thanks for Reading!


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